PLATFORM

We have a great town; witness the many that move here. We need to protect the quality of life that brought or keeps us here.

•  Road improvements - There have been significant efforts to work with NCDOT to improve roads. I would increase those efforts: hire additional staff, develop a list of road improvements needed, decide which the town can in fact improve, sort from most to least needed, and then ask citizens if they will support financing to pay for these effort s. Cost sharing for road improvements should be a goal.

•  Traffic control – This is currently under NC DOT. I would support additional funds for local staff to take full control of most traffic lights . Then you would have a local person to contact with information about a failure, questions, or requests.

•  New roads – In addition to improvements, the town will need many new roads if we are to be able to move through the town without needing to stop for lunch .

•  Long term planning – The town must plan for our needs for 5, 10, 20 years down the road. The draft Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance (APFO) should be a warning that we are not currently doing enough.

•  Fiscal responsibility – We need to spend your tax dollars where you see the need . I believe that would include solutions to the severe traffic problems that currently exist. I personally have difficulty accepting major financial decisions without clear and concise descriptions of the reasons for the expense . The tax increment financing (TIF) arrangement for the Bryton project on Hwy 115 is one example. I spoke before the Board of County Commissioners requesting more information be made public before supporting the financing arrangement. That does not mean I opposed the project, just that the public had a right to know where their tax dollars were going and how they were going to pay.

•  Employment - I will work for more employment opportunities for the town . This will increase the percentage of property whose taxes more than pay for the services the town provides. It will also reduce commuting to Charlotte and other towns, thereby reducing traffic and air pollution.

•  Mass transit – Bus mass transit between Huntersville and Charlotte (77X Express) has been a great success. However, the drive for rail transit is another story. Huntersville residents are expected to generate 863 trips per day on the North line. That is perhaps 400 people from here using the system. CATS wants Huntersville residents to pay over $45 million to build the system for them. In addition, CATS will expect us to subsidize the operating costs; riders are likely to pay less than 20 % of the actual costs. Click here for details on this issue.

•  Zoning process – The current process can be confusing to non-professionals. It can also be time consuming to developers. I will work to streamline the process and eliminate rehashing of work as much as possible.

•  Listening to citizens - I have been saying for many years that the town needs a better way to communicate with citizens . That might include a public bulletin board, a web site bulleting board, and even a blog (web log) where citizens could share their concerns publicly.

•  Volunteers - How often do you hear people say “I could have done that better” or “they need to find someone who knows what they are doing” when referring to a specific town project. In various civic activities, I have made a habit of building a spreadsheet (list) of members and their skills. I believe there are many people in Huntersville who would be willing and able to commit their time to help the town. Retirees are a prime example.